Rich Tocchet is leading candidate to be the next Bruins coach | HFBoards - NHL Message Board and Forum for National Hockey League

Rich Tocchet is leading candidate to be the next Bruins coach

UrbanImpact

Registered User
Apr 12, 2021
4,083
7,780
According to Jimmy Murphy, After failing to secure the Anaheim job, and having Quenville beat him out, it now sounds like Tochett is heading to Boston to be the next coach of the Bruins.

I personally dont see a fit there as Boston already struggles to score. Toch is a very defensive minded coach that wants to win games 2-1 every night.

I guess it can work because Boston is filled with veterans and not much young or rookie prospects in the lineup. Toch hates young players and prospects. Especially if they are offensive and skilled.

Toch hiring would be good for the likes of Swayman, Zadorov, Mcavoy. Absoloute disaster for Pastrnak and Mittlestadt.
 
Tochett isn’t terrible but he’s a noticeable downgrade from Boston’s usual quality of coaches the last 20 years

I think Tochett's system is built for the playoffs. However , as a fan, you gotta survive the 82 games of low event hockey.

I also think guys like Tochett, is similar to other coaches like Torts. They have a flash of success but their shelf life is short because of the way they coach and their system.

They also have a limited number of teams they can coach because they dont do well coaching young teams or up and coming teams. They need to coach veteran heavy teams. Toch just doesnt trust young guys. Its probably why he didnt get the Anaheim job.

Just look at how much more someone like Clayton Keller is now that he isnt playing for Tochett.

Elias Pettersson had other things like injury but maybe the system was part of it as well...lets see how he produces this year without Toch.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Brookbank
Remember when everyone was wondering if Clayton Keller was ever going to reach his full potential, then Tocchet left and he had a breakout year in a different city? I think we're going to see a similar recovery from Petey in Vancouver next season.

I expect Pastrnak to have a notable decline in point totals if the Bruins go with Tocchet.
 
Remember when everyone was wondering if Clayton Keller was ever going to reach his full potential, then Tocchet left and he had a breakout year in a different city? I think we're going to see a similar recovery from Petey in Vancouver next season.

I expect Pastrnak to have a notable decline in point totals if the Bruins go with Tocchet.

Wasnt there Bruins games this year where Pastrnak was getting benched for poor defensive and play without the puck effort?

Pasta will really have to step it up on those fronts because Toch will have non of that.

Remember, Kuzmenko was coming off a 39 goal season and when Toch got there, Kuzy saw more press box than ice time. He has no patience to teach. Ultimately ran Kuzy out of town
 
  • Like
Reactions: DaveG
Wasnt there Bruins games this year where Pastrnak was getting benched for poor defensive and play without the puck effort?

Pasta will really have to step it up on those fronts because Toch will have non of that.

Remember, Kuzmenko was coming off a 39 goal season and when Toch got there, Kuzy saw more press box than ice time. He has no patience to teach. Ultimately ran Kuzy out of town

Yeah, everyone knows the Bruins have been a no defense, run and gun team with no defensive accountability from their forwards the last 20 years.

Pasta got benched for a period when he made a bad turnover when Monty was in the death throes before he was fired.
 
Last edited:
According to Jimmy Murphy, After failing to secure the Anaheim job, and having Quenville beat him out, it now sounds like Tochett is heading to Boston to be the next coach of the Bruins.

I personally dont see a fit there as Boston already struggles to score. Toch is a very defensive minded coach that wants to win games 2-1 every night.

I guess it can work because Boston is filled with veterans and not much young or rookie prospects in the lineup. Toch hates young players and prospects. Especially if they are offensive and skilled.

Toch hiring would be good for the likes of Swayman, Zadorov, Mcavoy. Absoloute disaster for Pastrnak and Mittlestadt.
Doubtful Quenville beat out anyone. He’s likely a lot cheaper than what Tocchet will be.
 
Tocchet's division finishes:

2009 - last
2010 - 3rd; no playoffs
2018 - last
2019 - 4th; no playoffs
2020 - 5th; COVID play-in
2021 - 5th; no playoffs
2023 - 6th; no playoffs
2024 - 1st; playoffs!!
2025 - 5th; no playoffs

Tocchet's xGF% finishes:

2009 - 22nd
2010 - 23rd
2018 - 28th
2019 - 16th
2020 - 19th
2021 - 21st
2023 - 25th
2024 - 8th
2025 - 21st

I know NHL coaches are mostly NPC's and they're not really good or really awful most of the time, but I really, really don't get the appeal to this guy at all.

Outside of that one Vancouver team, his teams objectively do nothing but fail and their underlying numbers suck eggs.
 
Remember when everyone was wondering if Clayton Keller was ever going to reach his full potential, then Tocchet left and he had a breakout year in a different city? I think we're going to see a similar recovery from Petey in Vancouver next season.

I expect Pastrnak to have a notable decline in point totals if the Bruins go with Tocchet.

I'll clarify the timeline on this, but you're not far off. Rick Tocchet last coached the Coyotes in the 20-21 season, where Keller put up 63 points in 67 games played (he missed some time due to injury). He did have quite a "breakout year" the following season under Andre Tourigny, tying Keith Tkachuk's record for most points by a player on the team since moving to Arizona with 86 (playing all 82 games), but the team was still in Arizona. The following year (with the team again still in Arizona) he put up 76 points in 78 games played, then this season he set a career high with 90 points. He missed a single game.
 
Tocchet's division finishes:

2009 - last
2010 - 3rd; no playoffs
2018 - last
2019 - 4th; no playoffs
2020 - 5th; COVID play-in
2021 - 5th; no playoffs
2023 - 6th; no playoffs
2024 - 1st; playoffs!!
2025 - 5th; no playoffs

Tocchet's xGF% finishes:

2009 - 22nd
2010 - 23rd
2018 - 28th
2019 - 16th
2020 - 19th
2021 - 21st
2023 - 25th
2024 - 8th
2025 - 21st

I know NHL coaches are mostly NPC's and they're not really good or really awful most of the time, but I really, really don't get the appeal to this guy at all.

Outside of that one Vancouver team, his teams objectively do nothing but fail and their underlying numbers suck eggs.
People must really enjoy his light-hearted company. Like you need some levity around when you have a shit team.
 
His offensive systems fail routinely

Solid solid defensive coach though

Judging by the hockey I watched while he was coaching the Coyotes, and his overall nature during post-game interviews after losses (of which there were plenty), I completely agree with this assessment. I think he'd be great as an assistant coach, but as a head coach he's a little out of his depth.

Maybe he could succeed as a head coach by delegating the bulk of the attacking strategy (including the power play) to one of his assistants. I also can't really analyze specifics on his time in Vancouver, but the results kind of speak for themselves. Regarding the last two years in Vancouver, it feels to me like last season was one of those years where everything that could go right for the Canucks went right, but this year, everything that could go wrong for Vancouver went wrong.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Laus723 and edevils

Users who are viewing this thread

Ad

Ad